This invention relates to a retaining system especially a system used for an automotive carpet. In conventional retaining systems in automotive applications, snap-ring fasteners and tinnerman nuts are one of several tools used to secure carpeting. Sometimes washers are used to assist in securing the carpet. These washers can be made out of a metal such as steel, and can have relief notches and tabs. The notches allow the washer to deflect, while the tabs are important to allow for flexibility.
Nowadays, clip devices are used as another tool to maintain an article which can be releasably removed, such as carpeting covering the floor boards in an automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,581 shows one example of a clip used primarily to secure an automobile floor mat to carpeting. However, the insertion member of the clip used to secure the clip to the carpet slides away from the carpet after only a relatively short exposure from forces exerted on the floor mat from an individual's feet or shoes. Therefore, the retention force is not large enough to prevent slippage.
In prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,958, a strap, connected to the underside of a floor mat, has an adjustable buckle and strap extension which is attached to an elongated "S"-shaped clip. One end of the clip is forced over the exposed edge of the automobile's original carpeting to hold the floor mat in a securely held place. However, a hook and clip requires additional clearance from the end of the mat to the point where a pin is inserted into the carpeting, thereby requiring the mat to sit in an unnatural position which may not be aesthetically pleasing to an occupant. Also, the cost of this system may be prohibitive depending on the materials used.
While these designs have achieved commercial success, some improvements have been desired to provide a more aesthetically pleasing, simple to use, and cost-effective retaining system, which can experience greater retention forces without unfastening.